RECENT research has revealed that Belfast has the highest rates of hair loss in the North of Ireland – and the UK. Approximately 62% of males in Belfast are affected.
The news comes as part of research conducted by Superdrug to uncover how hair loss impacts people’s lives. People have brought to light that hair loss affects their confidence, mental health, sex lives and romantic relationships.
The hair follicle is a dynamic structure that requires many molecular building blocks to support rapid growth. Deficiencies of various nutrients can disrupt the normal cycle of a hair follicle and cause visible changes to the hair shaft. So how can nutrition help maintain healthy hair?
A healthy balanced diet is very important to help you grow healthy hair. Firstly, this means following the Eatwell Guide where we live. This includes having enough protein (meat, fish, eggs, soya, mycoprotein, pulses) in your diet (approx. three portions per day). Also, it’s important to have enough vitamin B2, B3, B7, B9, B12 and vitamin C which can be found in dairy, soya, chicken, peanuts, avocados, eggs, asparagus, broccoli, clams, strawberries and oranges, for example.
Don’t forget foods containing iron, like red meat (but remember no more than 70g per day), almonds, Brazil nuts and hazelnuts.
These nutrients can all help with normal healthy hair, but this doesn’t mean that they will stop balding through genetics. Other things that can contribute to hair loss are illness, stress, cancer treatment, weight loss and iron deficiency.
Some people opt for treatment like hair transplants or laser therapy whilst others seek medication like finasteride and minoxidil. But you would need to speak to your GP before any of these treatments to ensure they are appropriate for you.
• Lee McCusker (BA; MSc; MSc; MSc; ANutr; SENr) is a registered nutritionist from Belfast and can be found on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Email: attentivenutrition@
gmail.com
